Staff Columns

A Friendly Visit to the City of Kyoto

I’ve been working for Japan Airlines for many years but never visited the country of Japan since I don’t speak or read Japanese. Honestly, without being able to read or speak the language, I was worried about finding a way to get around town. (I know it’s a pretty silly idea). One day, an opportunity arose, and I decided not to waste it this time.

When debating on which city to visit, many people recommended the city of Kyoto. After deliberating about this for a few nights, I decided to go to Kyoto since I heard about the beautiful scenery in the city including many historical temples. I also saw many positive online comments about the city from fellow travelers.

Luckily, one of my colleagues was originally from Kyoto so she helped arrange a hotel at a great location and gave me some pointers about the transportation system. In addition, my colleague’s sister offered to take me around town for sightseeing! At first, I was surprised but was so grateful for the kindness and hospitality that was offered to me… a complete stranger.

The flight to Kyoto went smoothly. The first location we visited was Ginkaku-ji, known as the Silver Temple. It was built by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa for his retirement villa, which was modeled after Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple), and was converted into a Zen temple after his death.

The second stop was one of the most popular attractions in Kyoto, Kiyomizudera Temple. There was quite a walk from the bus stop to the temple since the temple is located on a hill. But, the souvenir shops, restaurants, and food vendors along the streets made the walk so much more enjoyable.

Did you know? Kiyomizudera Temple was built with wood without a single nail in the entire structure.

The view from the temple was amazing. A beautiful waterfall flows in the area which later divides into three different streams. Each stream is known to have different benefits: longevity, success and love. The visitors can drink the water from the stream, but drinking from all of them will be considered greedy.

After visiting a few more destinations, we had dinner at a very popular restaurant that serves gyoza (dumplings). The food we ordered was amazing and I was so happy she took me there.

After the dinner, we went to a ramen shop owned by my colleague’s family. The ramen was so good, but I couldn’t finish it since I ate too much gyoza!!!

We parted ways after dinner as I continued my trip in Kyoto with more confidence.

Reservations & Services

JAL Japan Explorer Pass

JAL Japan Explorer Pass is a simple and low cost fare for travelers wishing to explore the unique culture and feel of local Japan. The fare can be used to access over 30 cities across JAL’s domestic network.